Dead and Company Announce New Tour Dates

Dead & Company, the new group featuring three of the surviving "core four" members of the Grateful Dead alongside guitarist John Mayer, have added some new dates to their upcoming tour itinerary.

The group -- which reunites bandmates Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann following the Dead's wildly popular 50th anniversary "Fare Thee Well" shows earlier this summer -- will embark on a tour starting Oct. 29, when they take the stage in Albany for the first of what's currently booked as a 10-show run.

"Fare Thee Well proved to me that I'm not done exploring new rhythmic territory with Mickey — I’m recommending that everyone puts their helmet on, because we are going to blast our way into some serious drums and space," said Kreutzmann in a statement after Dead & Company's formation was announced. “And with Mayer riding shotgun with Weir — we’re in good company, so to speak."

"Those songs weren’t done with us," agreed Weir, who called Mayer's involvement "the cherry on the sundae that made this project look like a good idea" and added, "It was a matter of who wanted to get back out on the road and keep doing it. ... It’s kind of late in the year to put together a tour, but we’re gonna try."

"It’s been 15 years since the last time I sat in the room and just tried to get better at playing," enthused Mayer. "It’s what I’ve called Grateful Dead University. It’s like a study abroad — a totally immersive course and a real self-driven scholarship."